scholarly journals Breeding Stage and Tissue Isotopic Consistency Suggests Colony-Level Flexibility in Niche Breadth of An Arctic Marine Bird

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle J.L. Parkinson ◽  
Holly L. Hennin ◽  
H. Grant Gilchrist ◽  
Keith A. Hobson ◽  
Nigel E. Hussey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Isotopic Niche ◽  
Somateria Mollissima ◽  
Breeding Stage ◽  
Common Eiders ◽  
Foraging Decisions ◽  
Colony Level

Abstract Organisms must overcome environmental limitations to optimize their investment in life history stages to maximize fitness. Human-induced climate change is generating increasingly variable environmental conditions, impacting the demography of prey items and therefore the ability of consumers to successfully access resources to fuel reproduction. While climate change effects are especially pronounced in the Arctic, it is unknown whether organisms can adjust foraging decisions to match such changes. We used a 9-year blood plasma δ13 C and δ15 N dataset from over 700 pre-breeding Arctic common eiders (Somateria mollissima) to assess breeding-stage and inter-annual variation in isotopic niche, and whether inferred trophic flexibility was related to colony-level breeding parameters and environmental variation. Eider blood isotope values varied both across years and breeding stages, and combined with only weak relationships between isotopic metrics and environmental conditions suggests that pre-breeding eiders can make flexible foraging decisions to overcome constraints imposed by local abiotic conditions. From an investment perspective, an inshore, smaller isotopic niche predicted a greater probability to invest in reproduction, but was not related to laying phenology. Proximately, our results provide evidence that eiders breeding in the Arctic can alter their diet at the onset of reproductive investment to overcome increases in the energetic demand of egg production. Ultimately, Arctic pre-breeding common eiders may have the stage- and year-related foraging flexibility to respond to abiotic variation to reproduce successfully.

Obligate larval inhibition of Ostertagia gruehneri in Rangifer tarandus? Causes and consequences in an Arctic system

Parasitology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 139 (10) ◽  
pp. 1339-1345 ◽  
Author(s):  
BRYANNE M. HOAR ◽  
ALEXANDER G. EBERHARDT ◽  
SUSAN J. KUTZ
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Post Infection ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Summer Solstice ◽  
Arctic Canada ◽  
Arctic Environment ◽  
Experimental Infections ◽  
Common Strategy

SUMMARYLarval inhibition is a common strategy of Trichostrongylidae nematodes that may increase survival of larvae during unfavourable periods and concentrate egg production when conditions are favourable for development and transmission. We investigated the propensity for larval inhibition in a population of Ostertagia gruehneri, the most common gastrointestinal Trichostrongylidae nematode of Rangifer tarandus. Initial experimental infections of 4 reindeer with O. gruehneri sourced from the Bathurst caribou herd in Arctic Canada suggested that the propensity for larval inhibition was 100%. In the summer of 2009 we infected 12 additional reindeer with the F1 and F2 generations of O. gruehneri sourced from the previously infected reindeer to further investigate the propensity of larval inhibition. The reindeer were divided into 2 groups and half were infected before the summer solstice (17 June) and half were infected after the solstice (16 July). Reindeer did not shed eggs until March 2010, i.e. 8 and 9 months post-infection. These results suggest obligate larval inhibition for at least 1 population of O. gruehneri, a phenomenon that has not been conclusively shown for any other trichostrongylid species. Obligate inhibition is likely to be an adaptation to both the Arctic environment and to a migratory host and may influence the ability of O. gruehneri to adapt to climate change.

scholarly journals Adjustment of the annual cycle to climatic change in a long-lived migratory bird species

2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. Møller ◽  
E. Flensted-Jensen ◽  
W. Mardal
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Annual Cycle ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Selective Advantage ◽  
Migratory Bird ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arrival Date ◽  
Breeding Date

Abstract Climate change has advanced the phenology of many organisms. Migratory animals face particular problems because climate change in the breeding and the wintering range may be asynchronous, preventing rapid response to changing conditions. Advancement in timing of spring migration may have carry-over effects to other parts of the annual cycle, simply because advancement of one event in the annual cycle also advances subsequent events, gradually causing a general shift in the timing of the entire annual cycle. Such a phenotypic shift could generate accumulating effects over the years for individuals, but also across generations. Here we test this novel hypothesis of phenotypic response to climate change by using long-term data on the Arctic tern Sterna paradisaea. Mean breeding date advanced by almost three weeks during the last 70 years. Annual arrival date at the breeding grounds during a period of 47 years was predicted by environmental conditions in the winter quarters in the Southern Ocean near the Antarctic and by mean breeding date the previous year. Annual mean breeding date was only margiually determined by timing of arrival the current year, but to a larger extent by arrival date and breeding date the previous year. Learning affected arrival date as shown by a positive correlation between arrival date in year (i + 1) relative to breeding date in year (i) and the selective advantage of early breeding in year (i). This provides a mechanism for changes in arrival date being adjusted to changing environmental conditions. This study suggests that adaptation to changing climatic conditions can be achieved through learning from year to year.

scholarly journals Behavioral Responses to Decreasing Day Length in Wintering Sea Ducks

The Auk ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 117 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geir H. Systad ◽  
Jan O. Bustnes ◽  
Kjell E. Erikstad
Keyword(s):  
Prey Availability ◽  
Day Length ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Feeding Time ◽  
Somateria Mollissima ◽  
Sea Ducks ◽  
Light Intensities ◽  
Night Feeding ◽  
Common Eiders ◽  
Lower Light

Abstract Sea ducks generally are diurnal feeders, but large numbers winter above the Arctic Circle where day lengths decrease dramatically in winter. To determine how sea ducks cope with short day lengths, we studied different aspects of the behavior of three sympatric wintering species (Common Eider [Somateria mollissima], King Eider [S. spectabilis], and Oldsquaw [Clangula hyemalis]) at 70°N where day length is reduced to less than 4.5 h of twilight in midwinter. Numbers of both eider species remained fairly constant throughout winter, whereas Oldsquaws moved out of the area in midwinter. As day length decreased, eiders extended their feeding period into lower light intensities. Common Eiders and Oldsquaws spent a higher proportion of the day diving (underwater) when days were short, whereas King Eiders did not. As the days lengthened, King Eiders and Oldsquaws increased their total time diving at similar rates, which were faster than those of Common Eiders. Feeding at lower light intensities and increased proportions of time spent diving did not offset reduced feeding time in midwinter, and estimated time spent underwater during daylight on the shortest days was only 35% of that on the longest days in King Eiders, 51% in Common Eiders, and 39% in Oldsquaws. The ability to survive when days are short might be explained by use of stored nutrient reserves, night feeding, or high prey availability.

scholarly journals Seaduck engineers in the Arctic Archipelago: nesting eiders deliver marine nutrients and transform the chemistry of island soils, plants, and ponds

Oecologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 195 (4) ◽  
pp. 1041-1052
Author(s):  
N. Clyde ◽  
K. E. Hargan ◽  
M. R. Forbes ◽  
S. A. Iverson ◽  
J. M. Blais ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Impacts ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Somateria Mollissima ◽  
Nutrient Inputs ◽  
Arctic Ecosystems ◽  
Coastal Marine ◽  
Common Eiders ◽  
Pond Sediments ◽  
Circumpolar Arctic

AbstractSeabirds are thought to provide ecological services such as the movement of nutrients between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, which may be especially critical to productivity and diversity in nutrient-poor environments. Most Arctic ecosystems are unaffected by local human impacts and are naturally nutrient poor and especially sensitive to warming. Here, we assessed the effects of nesting common eider ducks (Somateria mollissima) on soil, vegetation, and pond sediments on island archipelagoes in Hudson Strait between Nunavut and Québec, Canada. Soil, moss, and pond sediments were significantly higher in nitrogen on islands with large numbers of nesting eiders compared to sites with no nesting birds. The highest concentrations of nitrogen in soils and moss occurred at the margins of ponds on eider islands, which correspond to the areas of highest eider use. δ15N and δ34S values in soils, moss, and sediments indicated substantial marine-derived organic matter inputs at the higher nutrient sites. We propose that by foraging on coastal marine benthic invertebrates and returning to islands to nest, eider ducks bio-transport and concentrate marine-derived nutrients to their colony islands, fertilizing Arctic island ecosystems in the process. As common eiders nest on thousands of low to mid-latitude islands throughout the circumpolar Arctic, these nutrient inputs likely dramatically affect biota and ecosystem functioning throughout the tundra biome.

scholarly journals Changes in Isotopic Niches across Stages of the Annual Cycle in the Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea)

ARCTIC ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabeau Pratte ◽  
Kelly A. Boadway ◽  
Antony W. Diamond ◽  
Mark L. Mallory
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotopes ◽  
Annual Cycle ◽  
Egg Production ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
Breeding Strategy ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Isotopic Niche ◽  
Critical Periods ◽  
Income Breeding ◽  
Sterna Paradisaea

 Arctic Terns (Sterna paradisaea) are iconic seabirds of polar latitudes, whose successful reproduction is thought to depend on local food supplies near breeding colonies. We used stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen in eggs, blood, and feathers of terns breeding in the Canadian High Arctic to compare their isotopic niche between life history stages and between two years. The isotopic niche of terns was smaller during incubation than during pre-breeding or winter. Over two breeding seasons, isotopic profiles of Arctic Terns suggested the high importance of local, exogenous nutrient supplies to form eggs (i.e., an income breeding strategy). Our results illustrate that using stable isotopes to assess the niche of a seabird population during critical periods of its annual cycle could be an essential tool in determining the influence that local forage conditions have on breeding decisions, especially for species that mostly rely on exogenous sources of nutrients and energy for egg production.

Environmental Governance of the Arctic: Next Steps – Diverse, Compatible, Needed

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 215-243
Author(s):  
Joseph F.C. DiMento ◽  
Christine Schrottenbaum ◽  
Elizabeth Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Change ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Environmental Governance ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Environmental Regime ◽  
New Approaches ◽  
Legal Strategies

The urgency of applying effective legal strategies to respond to environmental change in the Arctic is ever more apparent. The existing framework for environmental governance has matured and its constituents are numerous, and many are promising. However, policymakers and other stakeholders contend that new approaches to confronting environmental conditions, including mitigation of climate change and adapting to it, are needed. Many ideas have been offered; they range considerably in their assessment of what changes are needed and by when. Here we briefly describe the cluster of constituents of environmental governance, the international environmental regime, of the Arctic; we briefly note newly recommended approaches; and we analyse two approaches we consider most promising. These, cooperative scientific-based management strategies and adversarial legal actions, are dissimilar – to the point that some policy makers consider them incompatible. We argue, however, that both are needed and we describe elements of their successful use.

scholarly journals Invariant Gametogenic Response of Dominant Infaunal Bivalves From the Arctic Under Ambient and Near-Future Climate Change Conditions

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam J. Reed ◽  
Jasmin A. Godbold ◽  
Martin Solan ◽  
Laura J. Grange
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
Future Climate ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Global Changes ◽  
Combined Effects ◽  
Size Frequency Distribution ◽  
Near Future

Arctic marine ecosystems are undergoing a series of major rapid adjustments to the regional amplification of climate change, but there is a paucity of knowledge about how changing environmental conditions might affect reproductive cycles of seafloor organisms. Shifts in species reproductive ecology may influence their entire life-cycle, and, ultimately, determine the persistence and distribution of taxa. Here, we investigate whether the combined effects of warming and ocean acidification based on near-future climate change projections affects the reproductive processes in benthic bivalves (Astarte crenata and Bathyarca glacialis) from the Barents Sea. Both species present large oocytes indicative of lecithotrophic or direct larval development after ∼4 months exposure to ambient [<2°C, ∼400 ppm (CO2)] and near-future [3–5°C, ∼550 ppm (CO2)] conditions, but we find no evidence that the combined effects of acidification and warming affect the size frequency distribution of oocytes. Whilst our observations are indicative of resilience of this reproductive stage to global changes, we also highlight that the successful progression of gametogenesis under standard laboratory conditions does not necessarily mean that successful development and recruitment will occur in the natural environment. This is because the metabolic costs of changing environmental conditions are likely to be offset by, as is common practice in laboratory experiments, feeding ad libitum. We discuss our findings in the context of changing food availability in the Arctic and conclude that, if we are to establish the vulnerability of species and ecosystems, there is a need for holistic approaches that incorporate multiple system responses to change.

Contaminants in common eiders (Somateria mollissima) of the Canadian Arctic

2004 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 197-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark L Mallory ◽  
Birgit M Braune ◽  
Mark Wayland ◽  
H Grant Gilchrist ◽  
D Lynne Dickson
Keyword(s):  
Trace Elements ◽  
Organic Pollutants ◽  
Persistent Organic Pollutants ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Common Eider ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Adult Bird ◽  
Somateria Mollissima ◽  
Marine Birds ◽  
Common Eiders

Contamination of the Arctic environment by persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and trace elements remains a key concern for local residents as well as wildlife and resource management organizations. The common eider (Somateria mollissima) is a large marine duck that forms an important component of the diet of many Arctic predators, including humans. Although various studies have been carried out to evaluate the role of a few contaminants thought to be of local concern, efforts to assess contaminant residues in eider tissues have not been comprehensive. In this review, we summarize the available information on POPs and trace elements in common eiders across the Canadian Arctic. With the exception of one adult bird collected near Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut, eiders had detectable but low concentrations of most POPs, in some cases markedly lower than European eiders, and in all cases far lower than POP levels found in sympatric marine birds. However, common eiders did have elevated concentrations of many trace elements, noticeably cadmium, selenium, and copper, but these were below levels associated with toxicological risk to marine birds. Although the collective evidence suggests that common eiders of the Canadian Arctic may carry elevated levels of some contaminants, there was no evidence that these levels posed a threat to wildlife health. Key words: common Eider, persistent organic pollutants, trace elements, Arctic Canada.

Dissolved oxygen and temperature best predict deep-sea fish community structure in the Gulf of California with climate change implications

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. 159-180
Author(s):  
ND Gallo ◽  
M Beckwith ◽  
CL Wei ◽  
LA Levin ◽  
L Kuhnz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Deep Sea ◽  
Gulf Of California ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Demersal Fish ◽  
Fish Community Structure ◽  
Explained Variance

Natural gradient systems can be used to examine the vulnerability of deep-sea communities to climate change. The Gulf of California presents an ideal system for examining relationships between faunal patterns and environmental conditions of deep-sea communities because deep-sea conditions change from warm and oxygen-rich in the north to cold and severely hypoxic in the south. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) remotely operated vehicle (ROV) ‘Doc Ricketts’ was used to conduct seafloor video transects at depths of ~200-1400 m in the northern, central, and southern Gulf. The community composition, density, and diversity of demersal fish assemblages were compared to environmental conditions. We tested the hypothesis that climate-relevant variables (temperature, oxygen, and primary production) have more explanatory power than static variables (latitude, depth, and benthic substrate) in explaining variation in fish community structure. Temperature best explained variance in density, while oxygen best explained variance in diversity and community composition. Both density and diversity declined with decreasing oxygen, but diversity declined at a higher oxygen threshold (~7 µmol kg-1). Remarkably, high-density fish communities were observed living under suboxic conditions (<5 µmol kg-1). Using an Earth systems global climate model forced under an RCP8.5 scenario, we found that by 2081-2100, the entire Gulf of California seafloor is expected to experience a mean temperature increase of 1.08 ± 1.07°C and modest deoxygenation. The projected changes in temperature and oxygen are expected to be accompanied by reduced diversity and related changes in deep-sea demersal fish communities.

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